Game



J. E. OWEN.

GAME. APPLICATION FILED AUG-6, I919.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

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GAME.

APPLICATION FILED was, 1919.

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JOHN ERNEST OWEN, 0F VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

GAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

Application filed August 6, 1919. Serial No. 315,628.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN E. OWEN, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, residing at Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Games, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a game which is designed to represent mechanically the, old country pastime of climbing the greasy pole. v 1

The game comprises a series of masts up which a dummy figure is drawn by a line from a reel provided for each mast and operated by the several players. Each reel is operated by its player through the medium of a clutch controlled by the speed of rotation. The object of each player is to have his dummy figure reach the top of the mast before the. others. If a certain predetermined speed is exceeded the reel unclutches from the driving spindle and the dummy figure falls, and the player has to commence again, so that to win the player must hoist his figure up the mast at as high a speed as he judges he can do so without unclutching his reel.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure l is a vertical elevation and part section of one of the masts and its connected mechanism, showing also the mechanism by which all the dummies are simultaneously dropped when one of them has attained the top of its mast.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of the contacts by which the lamp and the release circuits are closed.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing three of the masts and the casings which hold their elevating mechanism, and

Fig. 4 is a diagram of the lamp and release circuits.

The device comprises a series-of tubular masts 2, each secured by a base flange 3 to a fioor frame 4. Adjacent the base flange a horizontal pipe 5 is connected to the mast 2 by means of a T. This horizontal pipe 5 is connected to a box or casing 6 1n front of each mast in each of which boxes a vertical spindle 7 is rotatable by a crank handle 8. On each spindle 7 a reel 9 is freely rotatable which is supported on a roller wheel mounted on the end of a lever 10 secured on a rocking shaft 11 which extends transversely through the several casings 6 and may be rocked by a means to be described later to lift all the reels 9 simulta neously into the playing position.

Secured on each shaft 7 to rotate with it 1s a pendulum governor 12, the movable sleeve 13 of which has pins 14: projecting from diametrically opposite sides, which plns engage vertical pins 15 projecting from the upper flange of the reel 9 but which may be freed from such engagement by lOWBI'III the reel 9 by means of the rocklng shaft 11, or by rotation of the shaft 7 at a speed sufficient to extend the arms of the governor 12 to liftthe sleeve 13 and its pins 14 from engagement.

From the reel 9 a line 16 passes through the tube 5 and around a sheave 17 mounted in the- T at the junction to the mast 2 upward through the mastto the upper end where it passes around a sheave 18 and is connected to a. tubular weight 19 endwise movable in the mast 2. The mast is lengthwise slotted from adjacent the top to adjacent the T, and through the slot projects a pin 20 secured in the Weight 19, on "which pin a dummy figure is suspended.

On the upper end of each mast is an incandescent lamp 21, which lamps are numbered for identification with the players. These lamps are in parallel across a cir- -cuit 22 through which a current may pass from a battery 23 or other convenient source of electrical energy.

This lamp circuit 22 is normally open at each mast lamp and at the break is 'connected to flexible contacts 32 34: from one of which, 32, depends a projection 33 designed to be engaged by tlre pin 20 of the weight 19 when that pin approaches the upper limit of its movement and lifts the lower contact 32 into engagement with the contact 34 and closes the lamp circuit 22 at that mast, the pin of which has first at tained its upper limit.

Supplementary to the lighting circuit 22 and energized by the same battery 23 1s a circuit 21 in which are the coils of an elecby the same contact 32 engaging a terminal contact 35 of the circuit 21 which is above the lamp contact 34.

The electromagnet 25 is inclosed in a box I or casing 36 which islocated in line with casing 6 of the several masts. Its armature forms one arm of a bell-crank lever pivoted at 31, the other arm 26 of which is formed as a latch to engage a correspond ing latch member 27 endwise movable and pivotally connected at 28 to a lever 37 secured on the rocking shaft 11 to which the several reel sustaining arms 10 are secured.

When the latch 27 is connected to the latch 26' of the electromagnet, 'as shown in Fig. 1, the rocking shaft 11 is held in a position that its levers 10 will sustain all the reels 9 in driving connection with the sleeves 13 of the governors, but when released from that latch connection, as when the electromagnet 25 is energized, the member 27 and its lever 37 fall, as also do all the reel sustaining levers 10 that are secured on the same rocking shaft 11.

When the players are appointed to their several masts the party in charge depresses the pedal 29, which lifts the member 27 into latching engagement with the member 26 of the electromagnet and rocks the shaft 11 to lift all the reels 9 into engagement with the driving pins 14 of the several governor sleeves. Theplayers are then free to rotate their several spindles 7 in an attempt to lift their dummies, which hang on the pins 20,

as fast as possible to the top of the several masts 2. If any player in his anxiety to get first to the top exceeds the limit of speed for which his governor 12 has been adjusted, the sleeve 13 of that governor will be lifted and will withdraw its pins 14 from driving engagement with the pins 15 of the reel 9, and when the reel is free of driving engagement the weight" 19 with its dummy figure will fall. The player may then commence again in the hope that his opponents may meet with the same misfortune.

\Vhen a player by a judicious combination of haste and caution succeeds before the others in lifting his weight 19 and its dummy to the top of its mast, the lamp circuit 22 is closed at its mast head and his lamp is illuminated, intimating his success to the other players. Immediately there after the circuit 24 is closed at the contact 35 and the electromagnet 25 energized. The latch 26 is thereby withdrawn from engagement with 27 and, by the levers 10, all the reels 9 are simultaneously lowered clear of driving engagement with the pins 14 and all the weights 19 and their dummies slide down their masts to the bottom.

That the lamp of the successful player may remain illuminated when all the weights 19 drop, the contacts 32 and 341 by which the lamp of each mast is connected in the energized circuit 22 are so constructed that after 32 has been pushed up and has closed the lamp circuit 22 and also the circuit 24 in which is the electromagnet, it will retain its contact with 34 after the weight 19 has fallen, so that there may be no question as to who was the winner.

After the decision has been given and a newgame is to start the contact 32 is pulled down to its normal open position, and the treadle 29 is depressed to relatch the rocking lever 37 to the armature of the electromagnet and elevate the several reels into driving engagement with the sleeves of the governors on the spindles 7.

As the operative mechanism by which each player hoists his dummy up the mast is inclosed and hidden, no player is able to tell how close he is to the release speed of the governor, and in the excitement of the competition one is very liable to overrun the speed limit and drop his dummy, possibly when it is close to the upper limit of its movement. This uncertainty enhances very much the excitement and amusement to be derived from the game as it frequently happens that a slow cautious player will win the game by the over-anxiety of more daring players.

An important feature lies in the arrangement of the contacts, by which the attainment ofthe upper limit by one player is not only clearly intimated but is put beyond dispute from the fact that immediately the limit is attained by one player the mechanism of all the players is immediately put out of action.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and-desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. A game, comprising the combination with a series of substantially upright masts, a weight endwise movable along each mast, manually operative means for elevating the weight, means for disconnecting the elevating mechanism and permitting the weight to fall when a certain predetermined speed is attained, and a signal on each mast for indicating when the weight attains the limit of its upward movement and means controlled by the weight for actuating the signal.

2. A game, comprising the combination with a series of substantially upright masts, a weight endwise movable along each mast, manually operative means for elevating the weight on each mast, means for disconnecting the elevating mechanism and permitting the weight to fall when a certain predetermined speed is attained, means for inlimit by the weight on one mast will disconnect the weight elevatingmechanism of all the masts.

till

3. A game, comprising the combination with a series of substantially upright masts, eachhaving a weight endwise movable along it to which a dummy figure may be connected, manually operative means opposite each mast for elevating its weight, means for disconnecting the elevating mechanism and permitting the weight to fall when a certain predetermined speed is attained, means for simultaneously connecting and disconnecting the elevating mechanism of each mast, means for indicating the attainment of the weight on any mast to the upper limit of its move ment, and mea'nswhereby the attainment of that limit by the weight of one mast will disconnect the weight elevating mechanism of all the masts.

4. A game, comprising the combinatio with a series of substantially upright masts, each having a weight endwise movable along it to which weight a dummy figure may be connected, a vertically disposed spindle rotatably mounted within a suitable casing adjacent each mast, said spindle having a crank handle by which it may be rotated, a reel normally supported to rotate in a certain position on each spindle, a pendulum governor connected to the upper end of each spindle, theendwise movable sleeve of which governor has projections that enter into driving connection with corresponding projections of the reel, a flexible line wound on the reel and connected over the upper end of the mast to the endwise movable weight thereof, and means for simultaneously withdrawing the supports of the reel on the spindles when any one of the weights attains the upper limit oil its movement on its mast.

5. A game, comprising the combination. with a series of substantially upright masts, each having a weight endwise movable along it, a vertically disposed spindle rotatab'ly mounted within a suitable casing adjacent each mast, said spindles having provision by which they may be individually rotated manually, a. reel freely rotatable and endwise movable on each spindle, a pendulum governor connected. to the no per end oi? each spindle to rotate with it, the endwise movable sleeve of which governors has projections adapted to enter into driving connection with corresponding projections oi the reels, means supporting the seve "al reels in driving connection with their governor sleeves and for simultaneously lowering them from such driving connection, a lie :il

ile line connected at cine end to each reel and at the other to the cndwnm movable weight oi? eacl'i iinast, an ei'iergmed electric circuit connected in parallel to open contacts. at the heads of the several masts, an electromagnet in such circuit, means operative by attainment of any of the mast weights to the up er limit of their movement for closing tie electric circuit of any of the masts, and means operative by the clectro-magnet when energized for releasing the reel supports and permitting them to fall clear of driving connection with their governor sleeves.

6. A game, comprising the combination with a series of substantially upright masts, each having a weight endwise movable along it, a vertically disposed spindle rotatably mounted within a suitable casing adjacent each mast, each of said spindles having provision by which it may be manually rotated, a reel freely rotatable and endwise movable on each spindle, a pendulum governor connected to the upper end of each spindle to rotate with it, the endwise movable sleeves of which governors have projections adapted to enter into driving con nection with corresponding projections of the several reels, a rocking shaft havinga rocker arm secured on it at each spindle adapted to support each reel in driving connection with its governor sleeve an arm secured on the rocking shaft within a suitable casing, a treadle acting on said arm by which the rockingshaft may be moved to lift the several reelsinto driving connection, a latch designed to retain the arm of the rocker in the driving engagement position, flexible lines one end of each of which is connected to each reel and the other over the top of each mast to its endwise movable weight, an incandescent lampat the head of each mast, the terminals of which lamps are connected in parallel to open contacts of an energized circuit, a supplementary circuit in which is an electromagnet, which circuit is normally open at contacts at each mast head, means cooperative with attainment of each mast weight to the upper limit oi its movement for closing the lamp and supplementary circuits, and mleansl operative by the armature of the electromagnet when energized :tor releasing the latch of the rocking shaft arm.

l. A. game, comprising the combination with a series of substantially upright masts, each having a weight endwise movable along it with provision. for connection of a dunnny figure to the weight, manually operative means for individually lifting each weight on its mast, means on each lilting mechanismior automatically releasing it and permitting the weight to drop when a predetermined speed is attained, an'incandescent lamp on ealch lhaet the terminals of which. lamps are connected in parallel in the cir cuit to contacts adjacent each mast head, i'ncans operative by attainment oi any of the Weights to the upper limit of their movement on their mast, for closing the contacts and. illuminating the lamp of its mast, means coiiperative with the closing of the circuit at any lamp for automatically disconnecting the weight lifting mechanism of all the masts and permitting their weights to fall, and means for maintaining the circuit closed at the lam when the Weight by which it was closed. falls away 10 from it.

In testimony wherecf I afiix my signature.

JOHN ERNEST OWEN. 

